Opening a Senate hearing on progress in Iraq, the Delaware Democrat said he found little reason to believe that sectarian violence will end in Iraq.

"Are we any closer to a lasting political settlement? If we continue to surge, is there any evidence Sunnis, Shias and Kurds will stop killing?" Biden asked Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq.

soundoff(45 Responses)

Why is it that a highly respectable military man is sent in front of Congress and the US people to defend a policy that is set by not him but by the President? The President himself has much less credibility then the General, and therefore cannot defend his own policy.

Patricia,
with all due respect, when did it become the job of the United States to build other nations?, if I recall in 2000 then Gov. Bush was absolutely opposed to that? you are correct that we have been working at our democracy for over 200 years, but do we want to spend all of our resources, time, effort, sons and daugthers overseas for that long to help Iraq become another USA? if so we are doing it wrong anyways? Nuke 3 of their cities, kill another 120-150 thousand (including insurgeants of course) and see how quickly they will become a democracy (lesson from Japan). and when the Russians and Europe come down on us, threathen them with the same fate uless they back off! but would you have the tenacity and stomach to do that? would you ask the country to support that? get real!

I want to take a second and respond to the people saying that Democrats want us to "lose" this war or that they aren't interested in us "winning" the war.

I don't know if you guys have looked at the situation recently, but it's not exactly a football game. There is no loss/win outcome. There is probably not even the likelihood of a democracy emerging from this mess. The only possible "victory" for America is if the violence decreases and the Iraqi government has the respect of its people. Unfortunately, no Iraqi government can gain the respect of its citizens while the United States is the entity propping it up and supplying it with weapons.

The only way for an Iraqi government of the people and for the people and by the people is if the Americans leave. Will there be a democracy in our wake? Most likely not. But wouldn't it be better for the Iraqis to decide that?

The right wing loonies brought us in to this war thinking all will be good and America will be saved from all "bad doers" This is what happenes when you vote in Republicans, ok.. not all.

For those that believe staying the course is the right thing, these people in Iraq will still be killing each other whether we are their in large numbers militarily or not. If you can't meet 18 or even 10 benchmarks within 5 years, this is a lost cause. We need to get out and secure our own country and plan for the future of our security.

This whole scene has finally convince me. My family has always been democrats, there was never a question. Between campaign donations for Hillary, Bidens outrageous comments directed at the General and Moveon.org I am now voting for Thompson and absolutely no democrats, they have totally disgusted me, I am fed up!

If you disagree with Biden, please sign up, send your kids and grab a gun to do what you think is right; but don't believe that wishing an end to sectarian violence is going to make it so. Wishful thinking is nice but it's wishful thinking that's all.

Today Joe Biden disrespectfully treated Obama as junior Senetor. See joe's statement below.
BIDEN: We are - let me make it clear. we're not going to have much - these guys have to testify at 2:00 p.m. It's in the record. Why don't you try to summarize quickly what you said.

Lol!! who is Joe Biden? This is why Joe's message has failed to resonate with the masses. He is a frustrated and very jealous politician. That is why we must change Washington.
Obama08

Our presence in Iraq is creating enemies, going nowhere, sapping our strength, keeping us trapped just where Iran and others want us. We have lost, and we can shake it off by claiming killed more Iraqis than we have lost. Elephants can shake off yapping dogs without losing much dignity. We can come out stronger with more options than we enjoy being stuck in Iraq for decades.

Senator Biden is Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and it's his job to make sure Petreus and Crocker were done at Foreign Relations in time to testify to Armed Services. When Obama's been in the Senate as long as Biden has, he can run the hearings. Biden wasn't being disrespectful, he was just doing his job.

And I seriously doubt Biden, after 35 years, is jealous of Obama's 3 years in the Senate.

The old saying still olds true, there will always be a party of bad ideas and a party of no ideas. A lot of the above postings ridicule Biden, however he is the only candidate running for either party that has come up with some sort of plan to TRY and stabilize Iraq. Sadly the current President has no more political capital, and his only plan for his time remaining in office is to "kick the can" to the next administration. I’m not saying Biden’s plan is by any means perfect, but at least he is throwing out ideas and trying to start a conversation. I challenge the other 20-some candidates to do the same. We started this quagmire and it would be immoral to just pick up and leave.

THANK YOU SENATOR BIDEN! In the tradition of our founding fathers, and the first Continental Congress, you are a contemplative, experienced an wise representative of our American people. You had the Iraq-political solution to this ill-begotten war, honed to a succinct plan, so long before others saw the light. And I am proud to be your fellow-American. An honorable, outstanding Presidential figure you are! With the utmost admiration and respect, thank you for your service to our country!

I would rather support a politician who MIGHT gain POLITICALLY by bringing the troops home than a TRUE SLIMEBALL who would fill his pockets with the blood money he earns for every day HALLIBURTON AND BLACKWATER stays over there even deliberately sending their OWN people to the slaughter.

If the congress would keep politics out of the decision equation and act like citizens of a great country that America is, they would be close to becoming honored Statesmen! No one cares for war, but at this time in history will be measured by what America does to protect the freedoms of more than just America! Perhaps the election of 2008 will bring forward many, many Statesmen/Statespersons!

Sen Biden as well as the rest of WA DC must be asleep at the wheel. He knows the killing won't stop, even with the surge in place. He ignores what will happen if we pull out.

The only REAL solution is to start the draft, put enough troops in there AND Afganistan to bring things under control, rebuild the infrastructure, get the economy back on it's feet and in the mean time help the Iraqi's understand and build a democracy.

It's obvious that victory in Iraq depends on the formation of a responsible, stable government in Iraq, but...

How can anyone expect the Bush administration to sponser the formation of a responsible stable goverment in Iraq when the Republicans failed to form a responsible stable government here in the United States when the American people handed it to them on a silver plater.

The Bush administration and their Iraqi counterparts just don't seem to understand that there is more to running a government than pilfering the American taxpayers...which apparently is their real goal of this war.

Thanks, Senator Biden, for your leadership on the disastrous Iraq policy, the Republicans, led by their fearless leader, AWOL George, have been supporting and lying about for several years. Your controlled and fair assessments of the failure of the Bush Administration are not only admirable, they are of great service to our nation. They present a picture, contrary to the controlled news releases from this incompetent administration. I know you will continue to serve your country with forthrightness. Keep up the good work, Senator!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.